President Donald Trump’s rhetoric about Iran seems to grow more belligerent by the hour. Over the weekend, he said that “it’s possible we could get involved” in Israel’s military strikes on Iran. On Monday, he warned residents of Tehran to “evacuate immediately.” And Tuesday, he wrote that “our patience is wearing thin.” Already, though, lawmakers from both parties are taking steps to try to prevent Trump from entering the fray. While the level of support for the resolutions is still unclear, these developments are welcome steps for building an anti-war coalition.
The biggest challenge facing these congressional efforts may be keeping up with the pace of events.
Axios reported that Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Ro Khanna, D-Calif., “announced plans to introduce a resolution on Tuesday that asserts the requirement of Congress’ approval if Trump wants to commit armed forces to military action in the region.”
“This is not our war,” Massie posted on X. “But if it were, Congress must decide such matters according to our Constitution.”
Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar responded to the post with “signing on.”
In the Senate, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., has introduced a war powers resolution, which would, according to Axios, “require congressional debate and a vote to authorize U.S. entry into the Israel-Iran conflict short of defending against imminent Iranian attacks.”
And on Monday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced the No War Against Iran Act, which would “prohibit the use of federal funds for any use of military force in or against Iran absent specific Congressional authorization.” Seven Democratic senators have already backed the bill, including Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Ed Markey of Massachusetts. That Massie, a libertarian-leaning Republican, and Khanna, a progressive, are joining forces speaks to the possibility for a bipartisan coalition against war with Iran. MAGA commentators, activists and politicians are divided on involvement with Iran, since a key tenet of “America First” ideology is to avoid intervention in foreign conflicts. The biggest challenge facing these congressional efforts may be keeping up with the pace of events. Before Israel struck Iran last week, Trump had publicly opposed strikes and favored negotiations. It remains unclear how much Trump is reacting in an ad hoc manner to what Secretary of State Marco Rubio called “unilateral” action by Israel, which has reportedly killed scores of civilians. Whether Trump’s recent actions were planned or unplanned, the U.S. now is at risk of entering a war that Trump claimed to have no interest in initiating. A united front against war with Iran on the left is important. But ultimately pressure from the right could be the most potent influence on Trump as he eyes yet another American war in the Middle East.
Zeeshan Aleem is a writer and editor for MS NOW. Previously, he worked at Vox, HuffPost and Politico, and he has also been published in, among other places, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Nation, and The Intercept. You can sign up for his free politics newsletter by clicking the link at the top of this bio.
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